A fuel line under the intake manifold located on the passenger side is leaking gas on cold starts. This is my second time dealing with this issue. As of now, it is only leaking gas when the engine is cold, but the leaking is starting to get worse and faster than before. The first time I had this issue it was leaking gas regardless of engine temperature. It is only a matter of time before it starts to leak at any given moment with a possibility to cause a fire putting my life and others at risk. I live in the state of california and this recall has only been announced for "cold weather" states. It is evident that this fuel line problem has nothing to do with the weather since I live in a warm climate. This probiem is unfixable and time consuming. I had already tried to solve this issue at my local repair shop and it ended up being a waste of time and money. This is clearly a manufacturer's problem. Subaru needs to issue a national recall for this vehicle.
2002 Subaru WRX fuel system problems
295 complaints (69% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 49,071.
- owner complaints
- 295
- of this car's complaints
- 69%
- typical mileage
- 49,071
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings173
- Delivery15
- Fuel injection system: fuel rail10
- Fuel injection system9
- Storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap1
- Storage: tank assembly1
- Fuel injection system: injectors1
- Delivery: fuel pump1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Subaru WRX fuel system problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Subaru WRX fuel system
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- Subaru is recalling certain model year 2002 and 2003 impreza wrx vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of south dakota, nebraska, north dakota, minnesota, idaho, iowa, montana, colorado, wisconsin, new york, wyoming, michigan, alaska, new hampshire, vermont, and maine. During cold starts, typically under extremely cold temperatures, fuel leaks in the fuel delivery line could occur where the line connects with a rubber hose.
- Risk
- Fuel leaks, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel line free of charge. The recall began on december 31, 2009. Owners may contact subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783.
Recall number 09V468000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Fuel line leak
The design of the fuel line (metal rail/rubber hose interface) is susceptible to fuel odor and/or seepage in extreme cold temperature conditions.owners most often noticed fuel odor in the occupant compartment area during initial cold engine start-up.once the engine is warmed, the odor/seepage issue dissipates.from subaru's data, odi notes that the incident rates are higher in states with colder temperatures.there was one allegation of a fire incident in which the owner had reported that he noticed fuel odor a few days earlier, but odi could not confirm the origin of the fire. To address this issue, subaru will replace the fuel line with a longer rubber hose segment version/design on 5,724 my 2002-2003 vehicles built through september 12, 2002 in 16 states (ak, co, ia, id, me, mi, mn, mt, nd, ne, nh, ny, sd, vt, wi & wy).in addition, subaru will extend the warranty coverage to 12 years/unlimited mileage on vehicles in the remaining 34 states.this engineering analysis is closed (see recall campaign 09v‑468)
EA09011
Fuel line leak
Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine. Once the engine has warmed, the odor/leakage may cease.subaru revised the fuel pipe/hose design for model year (my) 2003-04 wrx vehicles produced after august 2003.subaru also introduced a my 2004 impreza sti vehicle with a different engine and fuel pipe/hose layout.out of the total of 994 complaints, 944 concern my 2002-03 wrx vehicles built through august 2003.subaru also reports one fire on a my 2002 wrx vehicle that occurred in february 2006.in march 2009, odi inspected and video taped a my 2002 wrx vehicle with a fuel leak during cold engine start up.the video was provided to subaru and is in the investigation file. This investigation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-011) to further study this issue.
PE09017
Fuel line leakage in engine compartment
Subaru reports that the fuel odor is caused by fuel seepage during cold start of the engine under extremely cold temperatures. The leak occurs in a fuel line in the engine compartment.it reports that the failure is due to the misaligned angle between two fuel delivery lines which resulted in such fuel seepage during the first few seconds of cold engine start during these cold temperatures.subaru reports that the two fuel lines are connected with a hose that becomes too stiff in very cold temperatures to conform to the misalignment. Subaru has issued a technical service bulletin (subaru service bulletin number 09-36-03) to replace the fuel lines with new lines that are properly aligned and that have a longer connecting hose.odi phone calls to many of the complainants confirm that fuel odor is noticable during very cold temperatures and cold start but goes away as the engine warms up, and the odor is not present in warmer temperatures. A few owners report that attempts to eliminate the leakage by tightening the connecting hose clamps is not effective in eliminating the fuel odor.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
PE04002
What 2002 Subaru WRX owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I have the terrible gasoline smell in and outside of the car as a result of a recall that is not valid in the state of ohio. As subaru thinks ohio is not a cold weather state and has denied the recall on my vehicle. It smells the whole house. It is sickening. I have been putting up for it since I bought the vehicle and am the original owner. According to the recall, it can cause a fire. I cannot purchase another car, and subaru will not honor the recall because I live in ohio (a very very cold state).
Fuel rail on 2002 wrx is leaking heavily on the engine. This is a high fire hazard as well as noxious for passengers in the car as it smells heavily of fuel. Since I live in washington state subaru of america has not honored the recall they've put in other states for this exact issue. Subaru has denied warranty repair due to the extended warranty expiring for this issue in 2013. I was never notified of this issue. I am the original owner of this car and have taken it in for every other recall issue that I've been notified of. This is reckless and dangerous. The local repair shop has said they don't think it is correct to charge me for labor and parts that should be covered under warranty by subaru and have directed me to the dealership. The dealership asked me to get authorization from subaru, which was denied. This is a safety issue that should be covered under warranty for the life of the car. It is a bone stock car with no aftermarkets parts or enhancements.
There is a constant raw fuel smell when driving, to the point of making me feel sick, cant even drive my car without all the windows down, ive reasurched this issue with other models using the same engine & componints that are on the recall list, but I can not get any help from anyone at subaru, even with explaining its the exact same problem as ither the forester or outback... Of a raw fuel smell from a fulty gas line under the manifold,,, not cool that they are willing to compromise my safety to avoid doing the fix, or addmiting the defect affects the 2002 wrx
When the weather is cold and below freezing there is a gas leak and I can smell gas in the inside of my car as well as outside. It is hard to be able to drive anywhere when it is below freezing. There was a safety recall (http://tinyurl.com/wrxgas) for this situation in 2009, but I was never notified. I discovered this recall when I recently decided to try to research the situation again, although I was turned down for any help from subaru early in my ownership of the vehicle. I recently took it to my dealership to get the issue fixed, only to be told that this recall expired. I am the original owner and have been trying to get this resolved since I bought the car in may 2001 in mn.
I'm filing my complaint with all the others about the strong fuel smell during the cold months. I cannot believe ohio is not included in the recall. I've taken my car to the dealer numerous times to be told that the car is okay. Frankly, this past cold winter has been awful. The smell makes it's way into the house. It is awful. I cannot believe subaru does not believe ohio is cold and will not stand by its autos. Also, when I brought the auto in for a recall on the front control arms, they only rustproofed them and never told me the frame was rusted out. This was at 125,000 miles. This auto has been meticulously cared for. If this car is meant to be in all kinds of weather, why can't it stand up past 125,000 miles. Ridiculous! I have three other vehicles from other brands with many more miles, one car of which is stored outside in the winter, and all the other autos have great lasting frames. Considering I had only 125,000 miles, I saved the money and made this expensive repair. Com'on subaru make a car that lasts!!!!!
When it is cold outside my car smells like raw fuel very strongly in the cabin resulting in headaches and dizziness. This is a common problem among-st these cars and subaru knows about it because they had an extended recall but does not cover the problem now.
Working night shifts, started my car to let warm up, temperature was 43 degrees fahrenheit at the time. After start up I could smell raw fuel out side the car as well as inside the car through the vents. Also gas mileage has gone down by drastically, normally get 300-330 miles a tank and currently getting barley 200. Noticed car starting to smoke a little as well from under the hood, no fire but not going to keep driving the car.
Smell of fuel from within the car during cold temperatures. This is a known issue per tsb 01-170-09. Dealership may deny repairs if they can't reproduce the issue. Email from subaru regarding this problem: we welcome your contact, as it relates to the wvk-21 fuel line warranty extension. Your 2002 subaru wrx is affected by the warranty extension for these components. The dealership would need to perform a diagnosis of the current concern. They can then advise you regarding the issue and whether it is the same as the warranty extension. I would recommend that you make an appointment at a subaru dealership, at your earliest convenience.
Strong odor of fuel and/or burnt oil inside the vehicle repeatedly. I contacted subaru long ago about this problem when I got a recall notice from subaru national saying my car "may" be part of this recall. I took the car to a subaru dealer. They said unless they can either smell fuel or find the problem there is nothing they can do for me. Subaru national said the same thing "unless we can smell fuel odor" we will not pay for inspecting and fixing your vehicle.
Questions about the 2002 Subaru WRX fuel system
Does the 2002 Subaru WRX have fuel system problems?
Owners have filed 295 complaints about the fuel system of the 2002 Subaru WRX, 69% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2002 Subaru WRX fuel system problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 49,071 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Subaru WRX fuel system?
Yes, 1 recall: 09V468000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Subaru WRX have the most fuel system problems?
The Subaru WRX model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2002 (295 complaints), 2004 (35 complaints) and 2003 (20 complaints).
Other 2002 Subaru WRX problems
Brakes 80Engine 18Transmission 16Visibility 8Suspension 6Airbags 3Body 3Electrical 3Acceleration 2Tires 2Seat belts 1Steering 1Wheels 1
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